Robert Indiana: “American Painter of Signs”

ROBERT INDIANA: “AMERICAN PAINTER OF SIGNS”

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Robert Indiana is without a doubt one of the most recognized artists in American modern art today.

He is most famous for his “LOVE” pop art sculptures that can be found in many languages and variations throughout the world.

THE BEGINNING He spent his early Indianapolis area.

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Robert Clark, who later changed his last name to “Indiana”, attended the Arsenal Technical HS in Indianapolis.

The art teachers at that school were also professional artists and had a great deal of influence on him as a young man.

EDUCATION Indiana went on to study at the Herron School of Art in Indianapolis and the Munson, Williams, Proctor Institute in Utica, New York.

He then enrolled at the famed School of the Art Institute of Chicago where he studied various printmaking techniques and received a degree in 1953.

In 1958 he changed his last name to Indiana; what he referred to as his “nom de brush�

A name that paid homage to his roots in the State of Indiana.

FAMOUS WORKS In 1961, Robert Indiana began producing a series of paintings with a bold sense of graphic design. It was almost as if Indiana had taken a page from American advertising.

Indiana’s affinity for graphic designs led him to using a variety of text. As his style evolved artistically, so did his iconic “signs”.

In fact, Indiana began referring to himself as “America’s Sign Painter” with a unique distinction.

Indiana used the words “EAT”, “DIE”, “LOVE” and later “HOPE” in his artwork.

Indiana prolifically produced “LOVE” in a myriad of mediums.

ART REPRODUCTION MEDIUMS

Over the past 50 years, Robert Indiana’s LOVE has been produced in a variety of mediums.

It can be seen as a painting, screenprint, or a vast series of sculptures in many sizes.

Very few artists have been able to replicate variations of their work as Robert Indiana.

As an example, here are the results of numerous fine art auctions and the mediums employed: • Phillips Auction – Skein dyed, hand carved and hand tufted archival New Zealand woolen rug, with natural latex backing • Sotheby’s Auction – Aluminum • Dane Fine Art – Silkscreen on Paper • Bonham’s – Hand Woven Wool • Christie’s Online – Brushed Aluminum • Kunsthaus Lempertz – Aluminum with Steel Plinth • Sotheby’s London – Polychromed Aluminum • Dane Fine Art – HOPE Silkscreen on Canvas • Christie’s Auction – Cor-ten Steel • Sotheby’s Paris – Acrylic and Silkscreen Ink / Canvas